Nothing Is Ever Simple
by Zentin
Summary: I finally had enough. The teasing, the bullying, the babying, being left out, and forgotten, I was done, and so I made plans, plans that would let me live my life without being in their shadows. Plans that would let me be free. So I ran away and swore I would never go back. However, I should have expected that nothing is ever simple. The past never stays in the past...
1. Chapter 1

Summary: I finally had enough. The teasing, the bullying, the babying, being left out, and forgotten, I was done, and so I made plans, plans that would let me live my life without being in their shadows. Plans that would let me be free. So I ran away and swore I would never go back. However, I should have expected that nothing is ever simple. That no matter how far you run, the past never stays in the past.

Prologue: Vanishing into the Night

I am Alan Shepard Tracy, and I am running away.

In the shadows created by the moonless night, I hid as I watched the school night guard pass by without being any wiser that I was out after curfew. This was it. After months of planning, tonight was the night, the night where I would finally be free. Free from the teasing and free from the disappointment. I had had enough. After doing everything that I could, after trying so hard to get my family's attention that I hated being in their shadows, that nothing I ever did would be enough to prove my worth. It still brought nothing. I was done.

I had been meticulous in this. I had saved up money from my locks and computer programs. The AT Lock & Security Company was something that my family had no idea was mine. It was my own personal income separate from my trust account which would remain untouched, and I had been saving for years, the money stored away in a way that was completely untraceable. I had made it so. I could survive for a long while without anyone being the wiser. I wanted out.

With a bag filled with some clothes, some food, and a few personal items, I made my way out past the school gates, carefully avoiding being seen by the security cameras. I had left a letter, for Fermat so that he wouldn't think I was kidnapped or something, but he wouldn't see it until I was long gone. It hurt that I was leaving him and Tin-Tin because they had always been supportive of me. They always knew how I felt, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I remember sitting down earlier that day writing it after I saw Fermat leave for his Math Olympics competition. It was a long weekend, so I had a four day head start. No one would notice I was gone, until Fermat returned. I left my watch with the letter, it's locating function would not be to my advantage. I would simply disappear.

I turned to face the school I despised so much one last time. Wharton's Boarding School for Boys was my prison for nine months out of the year. I hated it. Not the teachers, classes, or the headmaster or even my fellow classmates, no I just simply hated it for what it represented, my past of failing to prove my worth to my family. I swallowed back the angry tears that I knew would spill as I walked away, abandoning it as I felt I was abandoned.

I continued to hide, traveling through back alley and lane alike, going in circles, just to make sure I wasn't followed, even though I was dressed in dark clothes, my face hidden from sight, just so that no one would think twice if they saw me.

I approached an abandoned apartment building, a good mile away from school. It was condemned to be demolished, but that was months away. On one side, there was a small fenced enclave that once held the dumpster for the apartment. The gates were locked with my own personal locking mechanism that I invented, it was tamper proof and untouched. It was here where I would make my escape. I unlocked the gate, taking the lock and pocketing, knowing it would be useful later. As I opened the gate I saw a tarp covered mound that I quickly removed revealing what was underneath. It was the car that I built in my mechanics class, using my own money. It was nothing particularly fancy, it was actually rather ordinary. I had it registered, but underneath a different name, my new name now. I had prepared and prepared and checked and double checked, making sure that no one would ever question the false legality of what I was doing.

I got in the car and started the engine. I was technically sixteen years old, but under my new identity I was eighteen. No junior driver's license for me. I could go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. I could be anyone I wanted to be. I could be free. I was free. I began driving out of the enclave, and drove through the quiet, empty streets. Driving towards the Massachusetts Turnpike, I felt a twinge of regret, but I had to do what I had to do. I had to leave.

I am Adam Casey and I am free.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Adam Casey (Alan Tracy) has lived on his own for three years. He has lived in total anonymity by living a quiet life. He is happy, working as a car mechanic in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, his idyllic life is shattered when an old enemy manages to escape imprisonment.

Chapter 1: A New Life & A New Story

"Alright Tom! I've finished installing those new brake lines for Mrs. Walton!" as I wiped my grease covered hands on my work jeans as I told my boss about the repairs that I had done on the Chrysler mini-van.

From across the garage, my boss, Tom, stood up from where he was and walked over, "Okay Adam, let's give it a test to make sure everything's working properly." The older mechanic's hair had grayed and turned white, giving him a kindly grandfatherly look, which I thought suited his personality quite nicely. The old mechanic refused to retire no matter how anyone tried to convince him, but as stubborn as he was, he was also wise and kind, treating all of his employees like members of his own family. I never got the chance to really know my own grandfather, as he died when I was only four, but Tom was more than willing to try and fill the void that my family never seemed to want to.

I have remained hidden for three years. I cut my hair, got colored contacts, and made a decent attempt at growing facial hair to ward off anyone's suspicion of who I really was, and hiding in suburbs of Pittsburgh pretty much guaranteed my anonymity. No one would think to look for me here, and it had the benefit of being the city that never saw the Thunderbirds, but it did unfortunately have its own Tracy Enterprises office, and it was actually the third largest office in the United States, what with Pittsburgh being completely re-imagined. However, it was only on occasion that I went downtown, so I was pretty much safe.

When people think of Pittsburgh, they think of dirty, smelly factories. They think of pollution. They think of the steel industry, and that Pittsburgh's an environmental disaster. They're wrong. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city, and probably one of the cleanest cities around nowadays. When the steel industry and factories went away, businesses, churches, colleges, hospitals, and families moved in to pick up the broken pieces, turning it into something amazing. It has its faults, but I've never seen a city with more community than Pittsburgh. I've been to New York and Boston, San Francisco and Las Angeles, and even London and Washington D.C! Yet it's in Pittsburgh I've seen that the people are the most neighborly and friendly. From the inner city to the suburbs, the people of Pittsburgh are helpful and kind. That's why I came here.

I knew I hurt Dad with what I had done, but I couldn't bear his disappointment any longer. I couldn't bear the expectations of being in a family of overachievers, and nothing I did seemed to earn their respect for long. Even being part of International Rescue had lost its shine to me. I was still bullied by Scott, John, Virgil, and Gordon. I was tired of being left out and pushed aside. I was still the baby, and I hated it. I needed to stand on my own two feet. I needed the chance to be me. I wanted to be able to grow up. Ironically, I still wasn't entirely free to do that. Even though I had pretty much created the perfect false identity, I still couldn't be Alan. I was Adam now, and I could never be Alan again as long as I hid from the world, my family, and my past. However, I knew for a fact that I could find Alan within Adam, even if Adam isn't my real identity.

Still, I was happier than I was for a long time. I worked as a car mechanic, and I worked as part of my company on the side, not as the owner, of course, but listed as an employee, who was paid extremely well. I bought a small house in the town of Export, a small, quiet suburb about thirty minutes east of Pittsburgh, and I kept to myself mostly. I went to church on Sundays, and walked to work. I didn't drink, even though my false identity said I was twenty one. I was breaking enough laws as it was already, I wasn't going to get caught getting drunk or being stupid.

When it was found out that I had run away, the press went ballistic. It became a front page article in the New York Times, a leading story for People Magazine and Entertainment Today, and every other major and minor tabloid and newspaper that you can think of. I was honestly surprised that there was so much press coverage as my family usually tries its hardest to avoid the press. I wouldn't return though, I wasn't ready, and probably wouldn't be for a long, long time.

Back in the present, Tom started the mini-van and put in drive going a few inches before stopping. He drove out of the garage and he repeated this process several times, until he was certain that there was no reason for there to be problems when Mrs. Walton came to pick it up.

The old man got out of the car, and walked back into the garage, "It's working alright! Good job Adam! I'll get Lisa to call her to tell her it's ready. This is your last repair job for the day, so why don't you clock out, and head home?"

"Sure." I said, "I've got to pick up some groceries, and I've got to deposit my paycheck before the bank closes." and then I grinned teasingly, "You sure you don't want me to help close down the shop, old man?" 

A mock glare appeared on Tom's face, but his eyes held a laughing twinkle, "Old? Who you callin' old? I'm still in the prime of my life, thank you very much!" and he headed into his office, before he looked over his shoulder his eyebrow raised, "I'll be fine, you go on and relax. You work way too hard. Hard to believe it's been over two years since I met you, and I don't think I've ever seen you take a vacation." His tone showed it was a command, not a request.

I grinned, my guilt being expressed through the exhaustion that I had felt lately. Tom was right, ever since I started working for him, I hadn't taken a single day off, and I also worked overtime covering for Tom's other employees when they called off. It was a Tracy habit, we were unfortunately habitual workaholics, and I frowned as I thought about my family for the first time in months. Maybe it was time for a nice long vacation, "Sure Tom. I'll get some rest, I promise. Thanks for the work."

The old man nodded, and he entered his office, leaving me in the garage, and I proceeded to the front where Lisa, our receptionist was, to clock out.

"Hey Adam, you done?" The black haired woman was Tom's daughter, and she was also finishing up for the day, adding up the register and finalizing reports for all of the repairs done today. I knew she was ready to go home given the expression on her face. She was exhausted, as she had to watch her son while she worked today, as an unexpected school closing had happened and she was unable to find a babysitter. Derrick was normally a very active little boy, but I could see he was now sitting in a chair watching the TV, looking bored. In fact, he was so bored that he was watching the news.

"Yeah, I'm heading out..." I answered Lisa giving her an encouraging smile, "Hey Derrick, if you're really bored, how 'bout I take you over to Dairy Queen for some ice cream while your mom finishes up work?"

His head snapped up, and the ten year old ran over, a huge grin on his face, "Really?! Can I go Mom?"

She laughed as she turned to me, "Honestly Adam, you spoil my son way too much! You don't even bother taking care of yourself, you even forget to eat! But when it comes to my kid, you're all over him!"

I grinned and shrugged sheepishly, knowing what she said was true, but then my eyes caught what was on the news, and I frowned. Lisa also turned to see what had caught my attention and her eyes widened.

The World News Network reporter actually looked frightened as she stood before what looked to be a huge brick wall, "This just in! The Hood as he has been known to the world since his attack on the Thunderbirds, five years ago, has escaped from the Belmarsh maximum security prison here behind me! He has been held since his incarceration for his attempted murder of International Rescue's operatives, and his use of their equipment in the attempted robbery of the Bank of England London Branch! It has been confirmed that he is currently armed and dangerous. Prison authorities have noted that in his escape he managed to also free several of the prison's most dangerous prisoners, including Abdullah Riki, a terrorist responsible for the near bombing of a TransAtlantic flight in 2009, and Mark McDuke, labeled to be one of the most dangerous men in Europe by Interpol."

The reporter continued walking along, the heavy concrete walls at her left now,"Considering that the Hood's most likely target is International Rescue, authorities have taken specific security measures, although they were not available for comment. We do have word that the United States Navy has taken to defending International Rescue's secret headquarters, although one must ask will that be enough to stop this man who managed to escape one of the highest security prisons in the world," and she stopped almost dramatically motioning for the cameraman to focus the camera above her, " and was also being capable of this?"

We all stared at the destruction. It was as if the entire second floor of the prison had been through the London Blitz. A whole section of the wall of about fifty to sixty yards was completely gone, reduced to rubble which lay on the ground and smoke rose from the remains of the explosion. Obviously, the Hood had outside help. Even with his psychic powers, he would never have been able to destroy so much wall without some serious explosives.

"Oh my God..." and I turned quickly at Tom's voice. His face was pale and terrified, which went against his normally calm demeanor, speaking volumes to Derrick because he never saw his grandfather so afraid.

The reporter continued going on and on about the damage and how it was believed to have been caused, but I stopped listening. Nothing was ever simple. I just had to deal with the same freakin' psychopath that should have been executed because he was far too dangerous to be left alive, and knowing my luck he would find me and would try to kill me again. Even after showing him mercy, instead of dropping him, he

My thoughts were interrupted, when I heard Derrick ask "But why? International Rescue are heroes...why would anyone want to hurt them?"

Before I could stop myself, I replied, "Because you can't save everyone..."

At this, Lisa and Tom looked at me strangely, both knowing immediately that I knew something more about the Hood that most people didn't know, though they had no idea how I knew, while Derrick looked confused and said, "Huh?"

Shaking my head, I replied, easily distracting the boy, "Nothing squirt...let's go get that ice cream."

"Alright! I want a blizzard!" and Derrick ran outside, the Dairy Queen wasn't too far from the shop, just next door, but before I was able to leave Lisa asked.

"Adam, what do you know?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know, and please don't ask." I answered probably a bit more harshly than I intended.

"Adam!" my boss exclaimed, startled by my stern tone.

"I'm sorry, just forget about it, please..." I pleaded and I left them to follow Derrick leaving Lisa and Tom absolutely bewildered. Why couldn't the past stay in the past? Why couldn't things remain simple? Why did I feel that my life was about to come crashing down?

Later, I would honestly believe I had some form of prophetic gift because I didn't know how right I was going to be.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Sorry about the wait for this chapter. I had to rewrite the ending three times because I couldn't figure out how I wanted to set things in motion so to speak. I hope that things will go faster, but then again I do have a life outside of this story that includes finding a full time job. For the sake of legality, I must a disclaimer that I do not own the Thunderbirds. I do not make any money off of it, and I just write this for personal enjoyment and hope to open up a different perspective on some of the characters, particularly Alan in this case.

Chapter 2: Reasons & Regrets, Revelations & Realizations

After the conversation, I knew I really had to get away from Tom's shop. I wasn't angry at Tom or Lisa, but I just didn't want awkward questions that would reveal who I was. I was happy with my life, though living a constant lie through living as Adam, not for the first time was beginning to weigh down on me. Although I did apologize to Lisa for sounding mad, our relationship was still strained because she didn't understand why I was being so secretive, but after a few days she finally let it go. Nonetheless, I waited about a week after that to ask Tom for some vacation time, and he graciously gave it to me, although the reasoning for it still mystified him, associating it with our earlier conversation.

Standing in behind his desk, Tom looked me in the eye, showing his usual grandfatherly concern, "Adam, I'm more than willing to give you some time off, but I just want you to know, that Lisa and I had no intention of upsetting you in any way. I understand that you are a private person which was why I haven't asked about that conversation. But I have to ask, you've been on edge ever since that news report. If there's anything I can do to help..."

Knowing that I wasn't going to get out of this by lying, I replied, "I completely understand Tom, and yes my vacation has something to do with that, but again it's just something in the past that I can't really talk about."

Raising a serious eyebrow at me, the old man asked, "Can't or won't?"

Sighing and slightly frustrated, I replied, "If I'm being honest as I can, it's a bit of all three. I can't, won't, and don't want to talk about it."

Tom shook his head realizing that I wasn't going to budge, "I see. Very well then...I approve of your vacation time. Are you going to use all of it?"

I sighed rubbing my forehead, feeling a stress induced headache building,"Yeah, probably for the best. This has messed with my head, and I need time to think. Three weeks will be more than plenty of time to get my head straightened out."

Tom grinned, knowing I was getting back to my old self, "What are you going to do for vacation?"

I frowned in thought, "I might head to Kennywood* next week. Gabe and some of the other guys got tickets, so I might head out with them, but for the rest of it, I'm going to be working on my locks. It's quite therapeutic you know?"

My boss shook his head in disbelief, "I don't see why you insist on working in a car shop when you can just as easily become as rich as Jeff Tracy himself through your work in security systems! I know of the AT Lock & Security Company, and I can't think of any business owner anywhere in the United States who doesn't want it! You installed it for the shop for a huge discount, and I've never felt safer since I opened this place forty years ago! They are always in high demand, and yet no one seems to know who owns it, or how they make it! You still haven't told me how you managed to get hired by them!"

Now this was a lie I could tell with practiced ease, even at Tom's mention of my father's name, I kept my composure. No one knew that the owner was really me, even John would never be able to figure that out, as that particular information I purposely concealed, and if John couldn't find out with Thunderbird 5 or through Tracy Enterprises, then the government and the police would never be able to find that out. As long as they trusted the reputation of my company, everything was fine. I'd reveal this eventually, at the right time, but security risks sink ships, and if anyone knew I invented the entire security system at the age of thirteen, then it would have been much more dangerous for me.

I answered Tom without flinching,"That's because, as I've told you before, I, Adam Casey, don't own it. I just work for them. I construct and build the system according to the company owner's specifications, they give me the parts, and I put them together. I am paid very well, and I'm technically not supposed to tell you this because it's absolutely secret." I gave a secret smile causing Tom to laugh, although knowing I was actually serious. I installed it for Tom to thank him for allowing me to work for him, "I only work at home part time because I like working on cars just as much as I like building locks. Mechanical engineering's my passion, and working on the locks gives me time to myself to think. I haven't been able to do a lot of thinking lately, so I'm behind on orders."

The old man grinned, "Really? Working during vacation? You never stop do you?"

I crossed my arms and I pouted childishly, "I don't view working on my locks as work. To me, it's the same as doing puzzles. Working with cars is the same thing. They're hobbies that I get paid for, and I'm making good money. I go to church on Sundays, and then the rest of my free time is spent hanging out with the guys or reading. I'm a simple guy leading a simple life. What more can I ask for?"

The old mechanic still couldn't believe I wouldn't be going anywhere for my vacation, "Don't you want to see any place special? I mean most people would go out of state for vacation rather than stick around here."

I shrugged. I really didn't want to go anywhere. Not to mention, I probably probably shouldn't. The three year anniversary of when I had run away had only been a couple of weeks ago, and my Dad's search was back on, and I had no intention of getting caught, "Eh...not my thing. My family did a **lot** of traveling, still does actually."

Rubbing my chin in thought, "Anywhere that most people go on vacation for, I probably already have gone there, whether it was for work, for vacation, or for kicks. It doesn't matter. I like Pittsburgh, and there will be plenty of things to do downtown considering summer is coming up. I won't lock myself entirely away, but I'll have plenty of things to do." Tom nodded at that accepting the answer, and if you are wondering why he didn't seem surprised about me talking about my family, it wasn't like I never mentioned some things about my family, highly edited versions of course. It would have looked suspicious had I never spoke about them at all, still being as young as I was and living on my own. The thing with the Hood was one thing, that was something I could have never been prepared for, but as much as I was frustrated and hurt by my Dad and...well Dad and Scott mostly, but John, Virgil, and Gordon didn't make it any easier.

Looking back, what really contributed to me running away was not just...well let's just call it World War III with Dad and Scott. It was not so much from being excluded from the big missions that International Rescue regularly performed, as I understood Dad's reasoning for that. I was young, and the rescues were dangerous, and I was fine with that. Easing me into the position was the best way to go. Also, because of when I faced the Hood the first time, I realized I had a lot to learn, and even more so I learned how little I knew very quickly when they actually got around to letting me train.

What was not fine was years and years of negative build up with one sided teasing, lecturing, and bullying from Scott, Virgil, and Gordon. Not so much John as he was always up on Thunderbird 5, but still Johnny didn't do anything to stop it either when he could have said something. It was being sent to Wharton's and being forgotten nine months out of the year by EVERYONE. It was never calling me after a rescue to tell me they were okay. It was for things like lack of involvement in my school activities. I was involved in Track, Baseball, Soccer, and Basketball, and Dad nor anyone else came to see a single game or meet. I was involved in choir, and no one came to see a single concert. It was forgotten birthdays, which had happened every single year since Mom died, after all my birthday was the same day she died in the avalanche. It was the babying, treating me like I was forever just a kid, but then there was their expectation that I needed to grow up, when they wouldn't let me. However, all of that negativity was nothing compared to the explosion with proverbial World War III.

World War III with Dad and Scott I don't want to even remember what happened. It was the worst argument that I believe **anyone** could ever have with their family. The end result was that Dad was going to pull me out of Wharton's and send me not to military school, but a school that handled "troubled youth". I admitted that I hated to go to Wharton's because I was being pushed aside. I admit I lost my temper that night, and I did and still do have a temper problem. I admit that I said a lot of things that I regret...But when Dad and Scott both treated me like I was a juvenile delinquent when I **hadn't** done anything wrong, when they did **not** stand up for me, when they didn't even **listen** to me, but assumed right away that I had been the one who decided that it was a good idea to set cherry bombs in every single one of the dormitory bathrooms as a prank causing thousands of dollars worth in damages, I would like to see anyone not lose their cool over that! The real individual responsible was later caught and expelled, but since I was under suspicion because I was one of the only ones in the dorms at the time because I was sick and sleeping in my room, Dad called. Dad and Scott assumed. World War III happened, and that was the last straw for me.

I made my condition worse after that argument over the videophone. I was out of class for an extra week, and feeling ultimately betrayed that Dad would even think I would do something like that! The chemistry lab explosion when I was thirteen may have been my fault, but it was an honest mistake and an accident! I may have also pranked with Gordon from time to time, but I would never intentionally do something that I knew that would cause any permanent damage to property that wasn't mine or where people could get seriously hurt! Dad's and Scott's false accusations infuriated me with their lack of trust, and I had enough. That was the last time I talked to Dad, and afterwards I blocked all of his and Scott's calls, ignored pretty much the rest of the family, and over the course of the next month and a half, I set everything up that would basically allow me to vanish into anonymity. I was done with the Tracy family.

Unfortunately, these thoughts of my screwed up past seeped through my facade as Tom then asked, seeing me grimace, "Are you alright?"

Rubbing my head, realizing the headache and renewed heartache that I was now feeling wasn't going to go away if I didn't go home and deal with it, "Oh...yeah, just a headache. I've not been sleeping well. I really need this vacation."

Graciously, Tom waved his hand, telling me to leave, "Get out of here kid...take as long as you need to." and I nodded in thanks.

I left, saying goodbye to my coworkers, Dale and Tyler, as well as Lisa, and I left, walking along the side of the road. My house was only a mile a way, and the walking was good exercise, and saved on gas costs, not that I needed to, plus I got to enjoy the hillside views that made up the little town of Export.

It was an old coal mining town back in the day. The coal used was then supplied to the coke plants, where it was then baked, and then sent on to the blast furnaces in the steel mills and glass factories down in Pittsburgh for well over a hundred years. Then when the steel industry collapsed, so did Export, like so many other towns that dot Southwestern Pennsylvania. Abandoned and forgotten, broken and lost, just like me. Maybe that's why I came here in the first place, I fit right in after I ran away.

My house was up a ways, and as I walked, I looked around seeing the late spring almost summer weather kick up a nice breeze that caused the trees to dance in chaotic movement. It was a gorgeous day, and I knew I had to at least spend some time outside beyond just my walk home.

Arriving on my street, I walked down past several different homes until I came upon a small, two-story, cottage that was hidden in a small forest enclave of sorts with bushes that ran along the front yard that gave me a lot of privacy. It was a quaint little place. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a small entertainment room, attic space, a multipurpose basement, and a garage. I was living the perfect middle class life at the age of nineteen and with no mortgage. The property was inexpensive and considering when I first bought it, the place was a bit of a fixer-upper, I was able to to pay it off with the initial down payment. The house was another one of my pet projects, and when I finished, I had turned it into a real home.

I walked up to my house, put in the security code, entered the front door, and closed it behind me. I sighed, and sat down against the front door. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was, and I hadn't been sleeping well since I found out the Hood had finally escaped from prison. Was I worried that he would find me? I don't really know. I didn't really know what to feel. I was almost completely certain that through any regular means, he'd have no chance in finding me, but his abilities weren't normal.

I had no idea if the psychic powers that he possessed were enough to locate me. I had no idea of what he was capable of now. It was completely obvious that he would search for me for revenge, as I was the one that ultimately caused him to fail in the first place. He also probably knew that I was off the grid and had been basically untraceable for the past three years.

I walked over to the entertainment room, seeing if I could watch TV to take my mind off things, and I sat down on my sofa, and picked up the remote, and tried losing myself in mindless reality TV. I was going insane in here. I may have invented one of the most popular and best lock and security systems currently on the market, but I didn't feel safe at all anymore. I didn't want to go back home...although I would be lying if I said I didn't missed Dad and the guys. I had been out of contact with them for three years now. However, the pain and hurt that that led me to running away in the first place, as well as the fact that I was enjoying the freedom that my anonymity was able to give me without the press watching my every move, and the life that I had built for myself made it hard to leave.

"What should I do?" I muttered as I placed my head in my hands, troubled by the whole situation. "What can I do?" I tossed and turned these thoughts back in forth, finally turning off my television giving up on distracting myself.

"Maybe it's time I should go back?" I said leaning down with my hands clasped over my knees again, but I then shook my head at the thought. The moment that I even revealed myself to my family, my life as I knew it would be over. I'd be trapped, and never get a moments peace again. It would be a prison that I would never be able to escape from, although considering that I had done it once, I could do it again. However, I would rather not have to go through with it.

Sighing, I finally decided that the reality TV show wasn't distracting me, and I was about to turn it off, when all of a sudden, the screen started getting fuzzy.

"Huh? What's going on?" I looked at the screen, the static becoming the background before I realized exactly what was happening. A shadowed silhouette of the man that I feared most appeared within the static.

It was then an all too familiar voice spoke, "Now that I have your attention. You have no doubt witnessed the destructive power of my organization against Belmarsh Prison! Your attempts at capturing me will lead you nowhere and will be a waste of your time and energy! I have taken control of the global airwaves and just so you know this is only the beginning..." his words filled me with dread, and I realized that this was indeed only the start of the Hood's plans.

"Alan Tracy, I know you're out there! If you do not want the world to suffer, I suggest you hand yourself over! If you don't, know that the power that I displayed is only a small taste of what is to come."

"He's bluffing..." I muttered. How naive and stupid did he think I was? I wasn't going to hand myself over simply because he asked me to. Sure, his escape from the high security prison showed how dangerous he was, but to go against the entire world was ridiculous!

As if answering me, the Hood continued, "And if you think I am bluffing, let it be known that I have someone near and dear to you. Someone who you left behind! Say hello to my hostage!" and the screen changed from his static silhouette to an empty room holding the one person whom I didn't expect to be captured.

"No..." I whispered, so angry that I couldn't even form a single real response, "Tin-Tin..."

She was tied up and gagged and her eyes were filled with fear. I swallowed back bile and I shook as she was revealed to the whole world as the bait for the Hood's revenge against me. The psychopath didn't even care about the girl who technically was his niece. She didn't look like she had been physically harmed yet, but the fact that the man had kidnapped her at all was enough to cause my blood to boil.

"When you reveal yourself, you will be contacted. I suggest you do for her sake." the madman cackled in the background, and the screen cut out, returning to what I was watching before, as if nothing happened.

I immediately turned my TV off, and pulled out my cell phone calling the one person who knew who I really was while I had been hiding, "Gabe, it's me...I need your help."

* * *

A/N: Kennywood is one of the three theme parks that are found in the Pittsburgh area, and is well known for being a place of fond memories for those who come from Pittsburgh. It has many classic and modern rides; everything from rollercoasters, to the traditional Merry-Go-Round and Pirate Ship, as well as some antique rides that you will not find anywhere else. It is also home to the world's oldest water ride, now called Garfield's Nightmare, the Old Mill has been renamed and refurbished throughout the years, but the ride itself has never been shutdown or replaced. The lines are also usually never longer than forty-five minutes at the most, allowing everyone time to make the most of their time there. It is open all summer, and in September is closed except on weekends to set up for the October Fright Nights which are held on Friday and Saturday nights.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Heart of the Matter

Fifteen minutes after I called Gabe, I stood face to face with the one person who knew who I was as both Alan and Adam. Gabe and I knew each other from church. He and his mother moved in with his grandfather, the church's senior pastor, when he was twelve when his dad died from cancer. Because of this, raised under the watchful eye of his grandfather, he gained a strong talent of perception, and always knew when people lied. I don't how else to explain it. It was only a short time after we started to get to know each other that he confronted me. He saw through my facade, and called me out. Left with no choice, I explained who I was, what I had done, and why I had done it. I feared he would rat me out, but he didn't. Showing grace that I had never felt before. He gave me a hug, told me he understood, and from that day on, he was my best and closest friend while I had been hiding.

His brown eyes showed concern, and I knew immediately he had seen the message the Hood had sent over the airwaves, "Alan...I just saw it, I think almost everyone in the entire world did. I just switched to the news, and they found that it was a complete take over of the airwaves. They have no idea how they did it! I know it probably takes serious hacking technology of global satellites and TV stations, but they haven't been able to track the signal! I honestly don't know how I will be able to help you, these guys are way out there...unless...no..." and he trailed off as soon as he saw my face change to one of guilt, and he immediately knew what I planned to do, "Alan you are not sacrificing yourself!"

Expressing my loss of will. I really had given up at this point, "Gabe, I have to. They've got Tin-Tin. I have family problems, and they caused me to leave her, but she shouldn't have to pay the price because I brought him down back when I was a kid. I-I have to-"

The pastor's grandson stared me down, a stern glare on his normally relaxed face, "Dude, do not dare finish that sentence or else I will tie you up to your office chair, and then sit on you so you won't run! None of this is your fault, so don't give yourself up because you blame yourself for her being captured! Knowing him he'll probably just kill her to spite you if you do..." and I shuddered at the thought knowing that what Gabe said was true. I may have left her behind, but I couldn't deny the crush that I had on her.

Desperate, I replied, "Well then what do you want me to do?! Just let her stay captured for the sake of my own safety?"

He took a deep breath, and I knew immediately that he was going to say something I wasn't going to want to hear, "Alan...I think you need to go back..." as expected I became absolutely furious.

My expected response was to jump up from the sofa, and attempt at bursting the twenty year old's ear drums, "WHAT?! NO WAY!"

Not fazed in the slightest, Gabe simply responded, "Alan, seriously...your family has the resources, you have the know how in order to find her. You really should go back!"

Regardless of reasoning, I was ticked at Gabe even suggesting that, no matter what I was thinking only fifteen minutes earlier, "There is absolutely no way I am EVER going back! They decided that they didn't want me in their life, so why in the world should I return the favor?!"

He answered me quietly, no anger at all in his tone despite the fact that I had gotten angry, "Because as much as you want to deny it, their approval is still what you desire most..." at that I honestly did not know what to say for a moment, but then I exploded into illogical anger.

"Shut the hell up Gabe! What do you know about anything regarding my family?!"

"Uh...pretty much everything..." Glaring at him, he merely glared right back, and he then continued as if I hadn't done anything.

"Don't deny it Alan. Alan I haven't said anything regarding your family problems because I didn't know really what to do. When I first met you, you were hurt emotionally. You were angry. You were aloof. You struggle even now with self righteousness and pride by holding onto this grudge with your family."

At this I went ballistic. I couldn't believe he would even think about calling me out on anything, "ME self righteous?! I've had to put up with bullying and teasing all my life! THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ME! THEY NEVER NEEDED ME OR WANTED ME! NOTHING I EVER DID WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM!"

The brown haired twenty year old simply shook his head sadly, "You know that's not true. If that's the case why has your father spent the last three years looking for you? Whenever he talks about you in the news, he sounds guilty and upset. He wants you back."

Crossing my arms, I turned away, I fully intended to walk away from him at that, "He still didn't care back then, when it mattered!" but his next words stopped me.

"Then why do you refuse to forgive them, and give them another chance? Why does it not matter now?"

I turned back to face him, and I answered lamely, "Because nothing will change!"

"And how do you know that? If you never give them another chance, nothing will! And you still haven't answered my second question..." and I honestly still couldn't answer him because deep in my heart, as much as I hated to admit it, it still mattered to me.

Confirming my thoughts as if he read my mind, "It does matter to you...as much as you don't want to admit it. It matters and always has mattered to you, but because you are being stubborn you don't want to let it go."

At this, when I answered, my voice sounded broken, and I was at the point of becoming a sobbing mess, "Why should I? They hurt me so much Gabe..."

Coming up to me, he laid a hand on my shoulder, and he looked at me with a piercing stare, "And you think I get along with my family all the time? Granted, I will admit that my situation has never has been as bad as yours, but look at your life Alan! You are constantly lying about who you are and where you come from! You lie everyday to Tom, to the church, to my family, to your neighbors, and pretty much the entire world being Adam! I am one of the few people, if not the only person who knows you as Alan and Adam! Regardless of your reasoning, you're lying to people who have put their trust in you! Who care for you! Are you going to have that for the rest of your life?!" I shrugged off his arm, and walked a few steps away. He really was wearing me down with his speech.

"What about years from now when you have a girlfriend and get married, do you want your kids to be denied half of their family? Are you going to deny your wife the truth because you can't let go?" Frankly, I hadn't even thought that far ahead. I wanted to remain hidden forever, but the more I listened to him, the more I couldn't walk away.

"What about if your dad dies? Do you want the last words you said to him to be "I hate you!"? I know you... you would regret it even if you don't want to admit it now, but you would regret it! Could you live with yourself with that regret?" At that, I froze. I honestly didn't think of that. Gabe always had this ability of seeing the bigger picture. He was wise beyond his years, and it always could use it to set you straight.

Desperately, I replied as tears fell from my eyes, "Then what do you want me to do?! Don't you see that I can never go back! I..." I had no idea what he was thinking at my reaction. This was years and years of hurt finally being released. This was the hurt that I caused to my family by running away. How could I forgive them? How could they possibly forgive me? A few moments passed in silence as Gabe just stared in silence.

Finally, Gabe asked, "Alan...is Tin-Tin's life worth more to you than this grudge?"

At this, I was irritated again, "You are not being fair!"

And my pastor's grandson rolled his eyes at this, "And guess what? Life ain't fair. People get hurt. People hate. People are illogical. We do stupid stuff, and stupid stuff happens to us. You have to roll with the punches, and when you're knocked down, you have to get back up."

I pouted at this, and looked away,"That's not what I meant..."

Gabe sighed, "Do you understand why I asked you this then? You told me that Tin-Tin had always supported you..."

"Yes."

Raising an eyebrow at this, Gabe continued, "And you would do anything to keep her safe, right?"

"Yeah."

He laid his arm on my shoulder again, "Then go...if not for them, for her...I can't convince you to forgive your family, even though that's something I feel that you need to do, but Tin-Tin doesn't deserve being abandoned when she did nothing wrong..."

Finally, realizing that he was right, I replied in resignation, "I can't believe I'm doing this...fine. I'll go..."

Gabe smirked at this, glad that I finally came around, "And I will be going with you."

Frozen at this statement, I shook my head in the negative,"Uh-uh! No way!" There was no way, I was going to allow him to come along. I was not going to risk both his and my neck for however long this was going to take.

"Yes way because someone has to watch your back!" he slapped my shoulder and he grinned.

I protested, trying to think of a reason to get him to back down on his offer, "But what about school and work?"

He shrugged, "School's out, remember? I'm not taking summer classes, and my mom and grandpa will understand. They won't like it, but they'll understand. I'm not gonna tell them everything, but I will tell them I have to do this. Alan, you are not going in this alone. I won't let you." He smiled encouragingly, and I finally relented. Gabe would have made a great Tracy, he had the stubbornness down perfectly.

Finally, I breathed out a sigh, "Okay...let's do this."

* * *

Two hours later, Gabe and I made our way to downtown Pittsburgh. I could sense that the city was on high alert from the global airwave takeover. The police were out in force, and it reminded me of when I was really little when 9/11 happened. Nobody died from the Hood's attack, but everyone's sense of safety and privacy had been seriously violated. It was even worse when we got to the Tracy Enterprises R&D building. Security had been tighter than I had ever seen at any of the other offices that I had been to before.

As Gabe and I walked up to the front desk of R&D, security stopped us, "Stop! Only employee's are allowed inside right now! I know all of them personally, so I suggest that you turn around and walk away!"

Pulling something out from my pocket, "I'm Alan Tracy...and I need to speak to my dad. If he wants to talk to me about this whole situation, he's going to need my help, and yes I can prove it to you."

The Head of Security knew immediately it was a Master ID, which was only held by my dad, my brothers, Brains, me, and a select few executives which basically gave us unlimited access regarding the various Tracy offices, "That's...!?"

Pointing to Gabe who stood by me, in our united front, "He's with me. Get my dad on a secure line, and tell him if he wants anything to do with me in the future, I suggest that he drops what he's doing and comes here _now_. Tell him this is his last chance...or otherwise, he can forget ever seeing me again..."

The Security guards there looked at me in shock. Then seeing that I was serious, the Head of Security (Officer Dave) walked over to the phone and dialed the head administrator, "Sir...I need you to get Mr. Tracy to come to Pittsburgh. His son Alan is here..."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I do not own the Thunderbirds. All rights are exclusively owned by their respective authors.

Chapter 5: Forced Reunion

Dr. Byron D. Kimble, the head researcher, administrator, and director of the Tracy Enterprises Pittsburgh R&D building was a man that I had met only once or twice whenever he was called up to Tracy Towers in New York whenever my Dad would bring me along. I did know that he was a close colleague and friend of Brains, and he was aware of who were the true operatives of International Rescue. Because of this, as soon as he came down to the entrance lobby, he recognized me, and immediately brought me and Gabe up to the executive floor, no questions asked. He contacted my father, and he asked if I would like to speak to him.

A momentary flashback to World War III and that it was a conversation that happened over the phone caused me to shake my head negatively. In fact, I rarely used the telephone anymore, except in real emergencies, because of that reason. If Dad wanted to talk to me, he had to speak to me in person.

Dr. Kimble understood my reluctance given the fact that I had run away, and notified that I was waiting for him here in Pittsburgh. Dad and my brothers were all Earth-side, including John, but Brains was doing a rotation on Thunderbird 5, so apparently Fermat would be coming in Brain's place. That was the bright side. However, that being said, as I waited in the executive lobby for my family to arrive, I was going nuts. It would take a couple of hours for my Dad to even get here, and I still had no idea how I was going to face my family.

After a good hour of this, Gabe got up and approached me and exclaimed in irritation, "Alright, that's it!" and grabbing me by the back of my shirt he turned to Dr. Kimble and asked, "Dr. Kimble...is it possible for us to take a tour of the building? I promise that we won't run away!"

"Most certainly!" the man replied, understanding exactly what Gabe was trying to do. He looked flustered that he didn't think of that I would get nervous or bored while waiting for my Dad to arrive. He directed his administrative assistant (secretary) to show us around, and exploring this particular office was something I actually enjoyed. There were a lot of different engineering projects that had been in the works, including stuff that I knew was being specifically used for International Rescue. We killed the time wandering several hours in understanding the various projects that were going on.

It was around three thirty when we finished the tour, and fifteen minutes later Security notified us of the arrivals of my father, all of my brothers, and my old best friend and former roommate. Gabe and I immediately back tracked to the conference room near Dr. Kimble's office.

Dad was the first to see me, then Scott, followed by John, then Virgil, Gordon, and finally Fermat, but they didn't recognize me at first, until Dad saw my eyes.

"Allie?" His voice shook, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing. Dr. Kimble had left us alone, to give us some privacy, but I didn't want this to be an emotional reunion. I really didn't want to be here in the first place.

Dad calling me Allie immediately caught the attention of all the other newcomers in the room, and I searched desperately around for an exit. I didn't want to do this. All of the pain, all the anger, all the memories, and all the disappointment welled up into my throat. I immediately forced it down, and as my family started to rush towards me, I shouted, "Stop!"

I heard Gabe sigh sadly next to me as everyone froze. He saw the pain that I still held, and knew that I wasn't ready to let go. My Dad looked heartbroken, as I stared him down showing that me coming back was the last thing I wanted to do, but circumstances had forced my hand.

"I'm sorry, but the only reason I am here is because the Hood has forced my hand," I spoke, my voice quiet but firm, although I have no idea how that was possible given my inner turmoil, "I know I left her behind when I..." and I took a breath to get my emotions under control before I continued, "...left, but Tin-Tin doesn't deserve being hurt anymore by me because the Hood had decided to kidnap her. Our issues right now are secondary."

Gabe sighed again realizing that I still blamed myself, "Alan, I already told you, it's not your fault..."

I looked off to the side, not wanting to show the overwhelming fear and emotions in front of my family, "Yeah, I know that, but believing it is another matter." Taking another deep breath, I looked my dad in the eye, and desperately asked him, "The whole world saw that the Hood is after me, that means if I don't get involved in this, Tin-Tin will get hurt. He'll use her against me. I need to be a part of whatever you're planning." silently begging him that I had to be able to help. I couldn't leave this alone.

I don't know if Dad sensed my desperation, or that he wondered if me asking for help would be the first step of forgiving them, or if it was a little of both, because as I spoke his expression was completely unreadable. My brothers on the other hand were silently emotional. Scott was glaring at me, obviously ballistic with me running away and then pushing him away when I came back. Virgil and Gordon looked equally troubled and conflicted for the same reason. Only John and Fermat looked somewhat resigned and yet also relieved that I had come back, even though it wasn't to make amends.

After a minute, my Dad sighed and nodded consenting his permission to help Tin-Tin. "Alright son, you can help."

"But Dad!" my oldest brother protested, but he was silenced with a single look that I had been on the receiving end many times growing up.

"No Scott! This is our chance to make up for what we did...if I don't do this...he'll do it on his own...and that would be much more risky than if we do this together." His tone was filled with regret, and something ached within me, the desire to talk to him about...what happened was becoming annoying, and I quickly quashed the emotion. Rubbing his forehead slightly, I could tell that he had a headache, the stress really must have been getting to him.

He looked at me, a serious mask on his face exacerbating the tension regarding the situation with the Hood, "We just discovered ourselves that she had been taken as we flew over."

I looked at him surprised. They should have been the first to know!"Wait, you just found out? How is that possible? The takeover was around 9:50 this morning, it's now almost four in the afternoon! Do Kyrano and Ohana even know?" Knowing them, if they knew at all, I knew that Kyrano and Onaha would probably be uncharacteristically frantic right now, which made me slightly guilty that someone from the family wasn't with them right now, considering that I had pulled everyone so far apart.

At this, John answered, my older blond brother looked particularly bothered that all of this had happened, "They do, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, our entire system was hacked at the same time as the Global Airwave takeover. It knocked out our communications with the exception of our cell phones, so we didn't find out about her being kidnapped until after we were flying over here. We didn't even realize that we had lost contact with Brains on Thunderbird Five for a good four hours, and we didn't find out what had happened until Brains was able to reroute communications back to us on Tracy One mid-flight. That's why we were so surprised when you came back at first. It was so sudden and unexpected."

That certainly explained it...John, along with Brains, probably felt violated that the Tracy systems had been able to be taken over by the same man who nearly killed all of us five years ago. I would feel the same, had it been my system, which made me think of my own security system. I wasn't necessarily worried that it was in danger of being hacked, but my company did have a reputation in the security market that had important records of a lot different clients as well as blueprints for my locks and security systems, and bypass instructions for my cyber-security programs. It was a good thing, that I went over and updated all of my security protocols to prevent any hacking just yesterday in fact.

Deciding to wisely change the subject, I asked, "Where was Tin-Tin when she was kidnapped?"

My dad answered, his voice laced with regret, "She was finishing up her summer classes at MIT. Scott and Virgil were going to go pick her up next week. She pressured us to finish her studies when the breakout happened, and we agreed to let her finish under the condition that she take precautions." and I knew that he felt guilty for not forcing her to come home.

"What have the police found?" It was here when Gabe asked, his eyes narrowed in concern. He looked over at me, obviously worried about me in more ways than one, considering that I had been worried about Tin-Tin this entire time.

Dad answered him, but continued to look at me. There were a lot of emotions that he was holding back that I knew I would burst sooner rather than later, but my insistence in making him wait was the only thing keeping him from dealing with that right now, "We will hear more from Kyrano and Onoha when they get to Massachusetts. I contacted them, and they are absolutely devastated, which reminds me that I should send someone to be with them right now to go check and see if they're okay."

Virgil, his voice soft and thoughtful, put in, "Anne-Marie would be more than willing to do it, and it's about forty minutes to MIT from Manhattan anyway, so I say send her." Dad looked surprised that he hadn't thought of it. I guess he really wasn't thinking clearly as I thought with all the stress he was under. Dad looked at my third oldest brother and nodded giving him permission to call Tracy Towers. Before leaving the room, Virgil stared at me showing undisguised hurt that caused me to flinch slightly, but I shook my head. I almost didn't hear what John had to say next.

"What we do know is that Tin-Tin was kidnapped from her dorm room, and that they most likely drugged her or knocked her out, as there was little sign of a struggle. This was done expertly and efficiently. They estimate that she had only been gone for less than twelve hours before the GAT* happened."

I frowned, this was becoming more and more complicated, "That's not good. That's enough time to go pretty much anywhere, no matter what type of transportation you're using. You can get all the way to Pittsburgh in that amount of time by driving!"

Turning away from glaring away, Scott slipped into field commander mode, laying out what we needed to do, "Exactly...so we need to find her fast. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can find the Hood."

Nodding at Scott, I turned to John and Fermat, "I'm assuming that Brains is going over everything regarding the hacking of Thunderbird Five and Tracy Island's systems?" They nodded, serious expressions masking their concern for Tin-Tin, and I continued, "I'd really like to talk to him about what was accessed during the takeover. As much as I would like to trust this to the authorities, the Hood has already proven himself to be a much greater threat than what they can currently handle. With such a widespread worldwide attack and yet unable to pinpoint his location means that they have been masked and rerouted through at least a dozen or more different signals. He's confident that he won't be found unless he wants to be found."

At me saying this, my family looked on surprised, with the exception of Fermat. They still had no idea at all regarding my cyber-security abilities. I honestly thought they would have figured out by now how I managed to stay below the radar was largely due to my hacking abilities. Creating an almost legitimate false ID, untraceable bank accounts, legal records, social security, and everything else was all part of my month and half of preparation before I ran away.

Deciding to get right to it, Gabe asked, "Mr. Tracy, what do you know about the Hood and his followers? Do they know anything specific regarding those with him?" That's what Gabe always did, he always wanted to know what we were dealing with before jumping into things. Him coming to help me was turning to be more than a usual situation for him.

Actually acknowledging my pastor's grandson this time, my dad examined him closely eying him and wondering how we knew each other before answering, "You're name is Gabe, isn't it?" Dad looked hesitant about explaining anything about International Rescue before I stepped in and explained.

"Don't worry about keeping International Rescue a secret, he already knows about that." and my Dad looked at me annoyed, given I had told someone without his permission, "Don't give me that look Dad. I wouldn't have told him about it if I didn't absolutely trust him. My issues with you had nothing to do with International Rescue. Besides he already knows about what really happened with the Hood, so it's kinda of pointless to keep International Rescue a secret."

My Dad sighed in frustration, and I glared back at him, his lack of trust in me was still quite apparent and was getting incredibly irritating, but before we could erupt in another fight he let it go and continued explaining, "Did Alan tell you about International Rescue's agents?"

The brown haired, brown eyed twenty year old shrugged before replying,"Somewhat...Alan told me mostly everything, but I promise you what Alan has told me about International Rescue are things that I haven't told anyone, not even my mother and grandfather which can be a challenge sometimes." Causing my Dad to relax a bit, but I snorted at what Gabe said, giving my own opinion on his, I wouldn't say they were gossipy, but definitely nosy mother and grandfather. They always knew when people were up to no good, or hiding something.

I muttered under my breath, "He's certainly right about that, _especially_ with his mother."

Mock glaring at me, Gabe growled,"Can it Alan! She's not that bad..."

Rolling my eyes at him,"Really? You get it from her..." My brothers and Fermat looked upon us as we joked around during the meeting. Scott, Virgil, and Gordon looked jealous. Fermat looked quiet and shy for some reason, and John and my Dad smiled slightly at our antics.

Laughing, my Dad then became serious again and continued explaining , "One of our agents is Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, an English Noblewoman, who, along with her chauffeur, bodyguard, and servant Parker, are our main informants regarding things like this. We have had her on the case since the Hood broke out of prison. Her investigation has been most enlightening regarding the men who escaped Belmarsh with the Hood."

Gordon looked at Dad, my fish of a brother scratching at his head,"They're certain of that? Couldn't they have escaped unnoticed during the confusion and gone separately?" 

Dad shook his head, "No, it was confirmed that all those who escaped, escaped with the Hood."

I sighed gripping the bridge of my nose, "Who are we exactly dealing with here?"

My father, world famous astronaut and billionaire, continued, "Approximately fifteen prisoners escaped with the Hood. Of those fifteen, the most dangerous are Mark McDuke and Riki Abdullah. Mark McDuke has been called the most dangerous man in Europe, and before his incarceration he was involved in everything from terrorism, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and arson. It is believed he is directly responsible for over a hundred and fifty murders within the United Kingdom alone, but those have never been proven, and he was wanted in over thirty five different nations, including the United States, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Apparently, he has some connections with Mullion, which explains why he has joined the Hood."

At the mention of Mullion, the Hood's enforcer, I shivered and I looked over to Fermat who nodded at me, equally worried. The two of us had faced him with Tin-Tin, and dealing with a much more dangerous and probably psychopathic villain like this man was not something I hoped to do on my vacation. Why was it always during my vacations that the bad guys decided to do what they do?

After a moment, I sighed and gained control of my inward turmoil and nodded at my Dad to continue, which he did because he looked like he wanted to get this over with as quick as possible, "Riki Abdullah is just as fanatical about violence. He's an explosives expert, and was responsible for the hijacking of a transcontinental flight that was set to attack New York City, although he is not with any known radical Islamic organization. His history shows that he has close association with criminal activities now believed to be orchestrated by the Hood." It was then a horrible thought came to me, and I couldn't believe that no one made this connection before.

"Alan...are you okay?" Gabe asked me as I looked into space, my face probably was white from the horror that dawned on me. My family looked at me extremely concerned as this realization caused me to breathe rapidly, as if I was about to hyperventilate. Gabe got up to shake me out of my stupor, but I held up my hand as I took several deep breaths and calmed myself down.

When I was able to finally answer after a moment, I spoke in an almost whisper, but it was audible enough that my volume didn't matter, "Do you think that he might have been targeting Tracy Towers back then?"

The shock and horror that I presented everyone in the room deeply unsettled them. The death and destruction that the Hood was willing to cause, not just to my family because of International Rescue failing to save him, but to Tracy Enterprises, the thousands of innocent employees who worked in one of our biggest offices. It would have been 9/11 all over again. I couldn't believe that's how much he hated our family. He was truly a sociopath who cared for nothing but causing of death and destruction.

Virgil, who came back in the room to hear this realization and was the only one to reign in his emotions enough to get us to continue, "What about Transom and Mullion?"

Dad shook his head and answered, "Unfortunately, we have found that they had also escaped from prison several months ago. It was a less well known incident because they were in lower security, but..." The silence afterward made it difficult to really speak up. We were dealing with a global level threat that needed to be dealt with immediately...and the world governments couldn't do a single thing about them!

My oldest brother summarized what we finally concluded, "All of this was planned...planned far too well for all of this to just be a one time thing! The Hood is preparing for something big, not just for us, but for the whole world!" We all nodded at this in agreement. Personal issues would have to wait.

I asked, ready to get down to business, "Can we get Brains online? John, Fermat, and I can get started on going over the data and tracking the Hood. I have a few programs that I have developed that might clear up the interference preventing us from finding him." and my dad nodded, turning to Dr. Kimble who reentered the room as the same time as Virgil. His face was equally serious and disturbed by what the Hood had probably planned to do.

"Byron, can begin the link up to Thunderbird 5 from here?"

The administrator immediately nodded, knowing that Pittsburgh R&D was about to become headquarters for dealing with this catastophe, "Certainly, I'll take you down to the Communications Room on the thirteenth floor, and we can get started, and we have news..." and as he said this a bad feeling formed in the pit of my stomach.

I asked, my voice hesitant not wanting any more bomb shells, "What sort of news?"

The man looked nervous, his shoulders shaking slightly, but he gave the news report that he had just received, "The hacking of Tracy Island's systems was only the beginning. The cyber-attacks are happening worldwide. From China, to the United States, to South Africa, to Israel, the Hood is attacking major corporations, banks, and government computers alike, disrupting and accessing private information of millions if not billions of people, classified documents and programs, and bank accounts. Whatever he's looking for, it will only be a matter of time before he finds it."

At this I stood up in anger, "And they can't track him with him doing so much damage?!" but then something occurred to me, as I had formed a hypothesis on how this was possible, "But that's...no that's impossible...unless..."

My second oldest brother looked at me, his face filled with worry, "Alan, is there something you want to share?"

I took a deep breath, hoping that I what I thought wasn't true, but there really was no other explanation regarding how the Hood could be hacking into so many systems without even getting caught, "I...I don't know...I need to get started right away to be sure. I just...I just hope I'm wrong."

I hoped I was wrong, because I had a gut feeling that the Hood wasn't just looking for me as Alan Tracy, but also me as Adam Casey. Again, later I would really think I had the gift of prophecy because I didn't know how right I was going to be.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I do not own the Thunderbirds. All rights are owned by their respective authors. This is a fan-made story for the purpose of entertainment. All original characters are mine. The plot in general is mine. The concepts in this story are a combination of being mine and their respective owners.

Nothing is Ever Simple Chapter 5

After our reunion, and subsequent meeting, my family, Fermat, and myself followed Dr. Kimble down to the communications room where several other Tracy Enterprises computer techs were all working and coordinating on protecting Tracy Enterprises computer database from another hacking attempt. When we arrived, the whole room was in organized chaos, and it was obvious that the techs had no idea what they were dealing with.

John, Fermat, and I immediately took control of the situation, and began going over a massive system check. We called up Brains, and within minutes split up the tasks of going over what was accessed, what was stolen, what was corrupted, and the total damage to the network. My Dad, Scott, Gordon, and Virgil weren't nearly up to the task of going over everything regarding the computers, so they handled contacting the other offices around the world and making sure they were okay in regards to the hacking of our systems.

When things finally settled down after about two hours of going over system, I called out to John and Brains who was projected on a large computer screen near the consoles that John, Fermat, and I were working at,"How are we doing on the data accessed?" 

My blond haired brother shook his head, my earlier fears regarding what I suspected remaining in the back of my mind, "Nothing yet, I'm afraid. There really isn't a lot to go by here...thankfully we had installed an AT-19 firewall, so much of our most important stuff remained inaccessible."

At John's mention of the AT-19 firewall, I had to hold back a smirk because it was one of mine. I still found it hysterical that my brothers and father still had no idea regarding most of my skills, particularly my cybersecurity, mechanical engineering, and hacking abilities. I was glad that I didn't have to worry about my own system, as the Tracy systems acted as the perfect guinea pig without having to check it myself. Looking over John's data, it looked like that it even held during the GAT, but that was a bittersweet realization that was more worrying than assuring, confirming what I feared earlier to be true.

I frowned at my own conclusions, realizing that this was going to be a lot more problematic than anyone probably realized, even as bad as it was already, "Alright, instead of focusing on trying to make a connection, let's just focus on what was accessed."

John looking over his list of data on his computer screen,"Okay. Some International Rescue stuff, but thankfully not the Thunderbird blueprints, as that stuff is kept off of the database, as you know it's not connected to any of our online systems making it impossible to hack remotely." I nodded, considering that was the ultimate protection for Thunderbird tech. The hard copy blueprints were kept in a safe in Dad's office on Tracy Island, while the electronic data was kept on an offline computer in a secure bunker room that required both Dad's and Brain's thumbprint recognition to even access it. It would make sense that the Hood would make that his first target.

"What did they access?"

Rubbing his eyes, John paused before answering, "As far as we can tell, mostly mission debriefings and stuff mainly about you Alan. Looks like attacking Thunderbird Five's systems was to see if we had any luck in finding you, which we didn't." His tone caused me to roll my eyes. Seriously, I couldn't get away from this at all today!

I responded in sharp annoyance, "John...focus...I'm not dealing with this now." When John sighed again, I knew I was very close to actually getting into an argument with the most level headed of my brothers, so I turned to Brains instead, desperately trying to avoid an argument.

"Anything else?"

Thankfully, Brains didn't persist in the issue, "N-no...I've t-t-triple checked the entire s-system. W-we've not been a-able to find anything else."

Great. Gripping the bridge of my nose, I hoped me putting pressure would deal with the stress headache that was beginning to build, "Brains, how exactly did they shut down communications with Tracy Island?"

International Rescue's chief engineer, inventor, and scientist stuttered out his answer, "A-at f-f-first I t-thought i-i-it w-was a virus in the s-s-s computers, but I d-d-didn't f-f-ind anything when I did the overview. I-I-I w-was shocked to f-find that i-i-it was like they short circuited the system remotely!"

A cold feeling entered the pit of my stomach, my fears becoming confirmed one by one, but there was still one last thing I needed to know before I knew exactly how the Hood was doing so much damage without anyone being able to stop him, "And you tried tracking him through the Trace-E program?"

"Y-yes, but I wasn't a-a-a successful. It kept changing w-when I t-t-tried tracing it. I don't k-k-k understand how it's possible!"

John and Fermat became concerned, looking panicked when I put my head in my hands, as the thing I hoped that wasn't true, I knew without a doubt was, "Let me guess...every time you started to track it, it switched to a different signal after about thirty seconds?"

I didn't need to see the look of surprise on Brain's face to know that I guessed correctly, "Y-y-yes, h-h-how d-did you know?"

I let out a long sigh, in annoyance at my own stupidity for being partially responsible for creating this mess, "Well this makes things much more complicated...It's completely impossible to track him through all our normal means. No wonder he's been able to go pretty much anywhere online without being caught."

"How do you know that?" Johnny looked at me in confusion, the Trace-E program was designed to pretty much trace anything connected to the internet, and the fact that the Hood was able to hide himself was nearly impossible, except for the simple fact of the certain device that I had created that had basically allowed me to hide from the entire world and my family.

There was no way that I could hide this so I told the truth,"Simple, the Hood's using an IP scrambler."

"A what?" Brains, Fermat, and Johnny looked at me, completely clueless about the device that I spoke of.

I smiled, though my tone as I spoke was grim as I explained, "An IP scrambler is exactly what it sounds like. By piggybacking on different wireless networks through a remote access channel and satellite uplink, it is able to scramble one's wireless signal making it impossible to track. As you already know, the IP address is one's entrance to the Internet, the doorway that they're using to get online. What the scrambler does is switch randomly between signals that they're using so when somebody is trying to trace them, they can't find the location."

John looked at me confused, after all what I just explained would be pointless, "That's essentially spoofing the IP address, and you wouldn't be even be able to access anything! Wouldn't it be much easier just to fake the IP address?"

Spoofing the IP address was used to basically deny someone's access to the internet and therefore their computer, but not so much to download data. I nodded anyway, acknowledging what he said was true, "That's essentially what they are doing, but they're not using the earth bound networks for collecting data. That's the satellite's disguise, using the earth bound networks as a distraction preventing them from tracing the satellite. The satellite is doing the data collecting and transferring that data to wherever the Hood is, and switches between the signals as soon as someone tries tracing it."

"H-how c-can you be so sure that it's based out of s-satellite?" Fermat spoke up for the first time during this discussion.

Looking at my old roommate and best friend, I explained, "Two reasons really. One, they were able to take over the air waves. That alone requires satellite technology as there is less interference in orbit than there is on the ground, and second because that's not all that the scrambler does. The second characteristic in terms of powers can only be so because it is through a satellite uplink." and I gazed with serious eyes describing the last and most problematic feature of the device in question, "The scrambler also has the ability to scramble firewall data. Unlike other hacking methods that simply try to bypass a firewall, this targets the firewall specifically so that it basically destroys all form of security that a system would have and allow the hacker to have unlimited access to it. That short circuiting of the Thunderbird 5's communications array that Brain's described is a side effect. Essentially, the scrambler is the HIV to computers."

The only other blond in my family looked at me, a thoughtful expression on his face, "Then why did our firewall hold in place for the most part?"

"The scrambler isn't perfect. As you can imagine, it takes a LOT of processing power for it to do what it does...hence the reason for the satellite," I explained smirking,"and Thunderbird 5 has an AT-19 firewall which was basically designed with the scrambler in mind. It's a good thing you had it in place, or else the damage would have been a **lot** worse." John, Fermat, and Brains looked on surprised, probably not even knowing that my firewall had such capabilities. I knew after today this information would get out, and would put my company on the world stage to prevent this from happening again.

Before anyone could say anything more, my father, Scott, Gordon, Virgil, and Gabe entered the room again, and upon explaining our conversation, Dad asked, "So we need to find the satellite that the wireless connections are linked up to so we can find the Hood?"

Acknowledging his presence, I nodded, "Essentially yes, but because of the scrambler, we can't do that virtually. It just changes the location of the IP address, essentially every thirty seconds or so when tracing measures are initiated, which is no where near enough time for us to find the satellite."

My red haired, fish of a brother sighed, clearly frustrated with the situation, "Then what can we do?"

Closing my eyes and wishing I could cover my ears, I knew there was no way they would agree to this, "There is really only one way for us to find the Hood. I am going to have to be bait."

As expected, everyone in the room, including Gabe exclaimed, "WHAT? NO!"

Putting a finger into my ear, I glared at every single person in the room, "We **can't** trace it. No matter what John, Brains, Fermat, and I do, there is no possible way for us to locate the Hood through tracing him!" Their uncomfortable looks caused me sigh in frustration, "He wants me. I would even say he needs me! I think we can all hamper a couple of guesses why, and not just the obvious ones! If I'm right, he needs me because he knows I am the only one who can stop him. This whole attack is not just for him to destroy the Thunderbirds and the economy like he originally planned when he attacked five years ago, but also to draw **me** out. That's why he kidnapped Tin-Tin. If I don't reveal myself, Tin-Tin **will** get hurt. He has leverage over me. Over all of us."

Throwing up his hands, Scott shouted, "Alan, this absolutely crazy! The Hood will see right through that!"

Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I replied "And you're right, but there is no other choice. It is the only way for us to find the Hood. As much as I don't like this, we have to play by his rules."

"Alan, you know more about this than you're telling. How do you know so much about the scrambler?"

Knowing that lying was more trouble than it's worth, I decided to tell them the truth, "Because I created the scrambler three years ago, or at least came up with a workable theory behind it...and created a prototype..."

"WHAT?!"

"Alan, what in the world were you thinking?!"

"How could you be so irresponsible?!"

Then again, maybe lying about this would have been a better option. My family would never change. I clenched my fist in anger. The painful memories of constantly being reprimanded for everything that I did wrong, the judgment, and them always never believing me or allowing me to explain. I stood silent letting them all rant while Gabe, Brains, and Fermat watched silently.

"Alan, you seriously need to grow up..."and he shook his head, "Mom would be so disappointed with you!"

At that, I lost it. That one final comment from Scott made me lose my temper that resulted in my punching him in the face sending him sprawling backwards. Gabe grabbed me from behind, but that did not stop me from glaring at my family with unadulterated volcanic fury, which alone silenced them.

Breathing heavily, I ground out words dripping with sarcasm and anger,"You know if you really want me to run away again, and I can and I will, I would highly suggest for you all to keep going on as you have because as far as I can tell **nothing** has changed!" Shrugging off Gabe's hold off of me, I pierced my dad with my glare, "That's strike one! Two more and then I am done with this family, done with International Rescue, and will disappear once again, and will _**never**_ come back! And next time, no world crisis or disaster, which includes your funerals," Virgil, Gordon, John, and Scott looking at me dumbfounded and heartbroken at my words, "will cause me to return!"

Looking at my family, my eyes filled with years of pain and emotional abuse,"I have had it with you assuming the worst about me! I have stood here for five minutes, not speaking at all, and letting you rant and rage about my apparent irresponsibility for creating this device, but you never even asked _**why**_ I created it in the first place, never considering that I did it for the sake of preventing something like this! So shut the hell up because you have no right to judge me for anything that I do because I learned how to stand on my own a long time ago without _**any**_ help from the Tracy family name!"

It was then like a dam had broken inside me, and I laid out all of the things that I blamed them for, "Forgotten birthdays, forgotten school events, being bullied and teased every single damn time I came home! Dumping me at Wharton's after the chemistry incident which you still blamed me for even though it wasn't my fault! Never listening to my side of the story whenever anything happened, whether if I got a detention, a bad grade, which if I recall correctly led to our family's proverbial World War III! And I bet you don't even know that I was allergic to walnuts and have diabetes! It's lucky that Wharton's had medical authorization because I called you all six times when I was at the hospital when I was diagnosed and NO ONE BOTHERED TO ANSWER!"

I breathed heavily, and tears were running down my face, my hurricane of emotions were completely uncontrollable and I knew I had to get out of the room fast before I wound up doing something I regretted, "You never were around when I needed you most and because of that you ALL lost the right to judge me a long time ago! I told you I didn't want to come back, and the only reason I am doing this is for Tin-Tin's sake because she doesn't deserve being hurt because of my mistakes!"

I ignored their devastated and guilty expressions, and I proceeded to walk towards the double doors of the communications room, I needed some air. Looking over my shoulder, I looked at Gabe who looked pained and sad for me, and through so many unspoken words that he would handle things from here. "You should really thank Gabe for me coming here at all because he has done everything he can to get me to forgive you! I came, and you all act like this! I may forgive you, but I will **never** forget! You all lost my trust, and you are very close to losing all of my respect! This is your last chance. Don't waste it." and with that I stormed out of the room.

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I know I make references to a lot of hacking terms in this chapter. Please note that my knowledge of computer hacking is surface deep. I did a basic online crash course of Wikipedia and surfing the internet to get the basics of how hacking works. I wanted to include technical information to show that Alan knows what he is talking about rather than speaking in terms of generalities. My understanding of computer and cyber tech is that of the average general person, despite all the time I spend on my laptop, so I don't know if the situation that I created is realistic enough to be convincing for any serious computer nerds out there.

And bring on the angst...and a lot of unresolved anger from Alan! And yes, the diabetes and allergy to walnuts was kind of an on the spot thing, but hey, I really needed to develop the plot a bit more, so are we cool?

Sorry about this chapter for taking so long...ideas for this story have slowed a bit, and this chapter was difficult to write. I had to rewrite it three times until I was satisfied. This story is my test story for novel writing. The goal is to complete it and by completing it I know I have the ability to actually finish a novel! Again my brain is slow and easily distracted...I see a shiny!


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